Yes, I'm putting up the ping list 6 hours before the start of Howie's show but I wanted to get things rolling. It will be an interesting week as far as Howie is concerned. He'll start it on WRKO but could end it on WTKK--or perhaps off the air while things settle down. At least one of his affiliates (Worcester's WCRN 830) has dropped him, not wanting to wait for it all to get settled.

As far as some people like Howie are concerned, he will end his show Wed. on WRKO when his contract expires and start on WTKK 5:30-9 am Thursday morning, but will lawyers step in?

--Once I hear definitely what's going on, I'll pass it on

--The Howie thread will continue through all this, and will also continue should he move to FM

Below is by Tom Taylor of radio-info.com: ------------------------------------

So...Will Howie Carr switch to WTKK, in time for Thursdays start of the Fall (ratings) book in Boston?

The Heralds Jessica Heslam says hell try (links to article from last Friday)  while WTKK owner Greater Media expects a last-ditch legal effort to block the move from Entercoms WRKO. Thats what Carrs attorney Bret Cohen says, though neither Greater Media nor Entercoms talking for the record. Howies contract with Entercom expires on Wednesday, and Entercom argues that its got a right-to-match provision that should keep him on the premises after that. But Carrs legal position is that Entercom fumbled its six-month window on a renewal  and in any case, Carr really wants to fill the former Don Imus morning slot on FM talker WTKK (96.9), and to accept a contract that could theoretically make him $7 million over the next five years (if he hits all his ratings targets).

The Herald says WTKK has built a new office for Carr, who has attended at least one station staff meeting. Meanwhile theres an impact outside of Boston: Carter Broadcastings WCRN, Worcester (830) had been using Howies WRKO-syndicated afternoon show, but it tells the Herald theres been so much talk about his going over to WTKK that WCRNs Hank Stolz will fill Howies PM drive slot. Carr took the unusual step of filing a pre-emptive lawsuit over the validity of his non-compete, and Entercom counter-sued.

Howie Carr live ping—yes I’m early but I wanted to get things rolling...still up in the air as to where he’ll be come
Thursday. Will he start on WTKK FM 96.9? Or be off air
till things are settled? Will he even stay at WRKO because of some kind of restraining order

—What about Howie’s affiliates?
WCRN in Worcester has dropped him. As for the others
I haven’t heard anything but once we know what’s going on
they may drop out (the syndication deal is via WRKO). All of them have local morning shows and probably would not pre-empt them for a NEW syndicated “Howie in the morning” but maybe Greater Media, WTKK’s owner—IF they choose
to syndicate him—could make him available for
“tape delay in the afternoon”

John Dennis and Jerry Callahan should send Howie a bushel of fired clams. If it wasn’t for Howie leaving WRKO, Jason Wolfe and Lady MacBeth in the front office of Entercom wouldn’t have settled with the WEEI morning show hosts.

Could be but don’t you think by now they would have
gotten rid of Michael Savage and put prog talk on in his
place? (The Sox ownership are libs; pic of Kerry campaigning with Epstein, Henry, and Werner at his side is on
BostonDirtDogs.com...the ownership team that brought you
Kerry throwing out the first pitch—will they extend
the same offer to Romney next season, or what’s left of
this season?...and Queer Eye For The Red Sox...)_

That’s probably true...money saved would be spent for D&C,
and Glenn Ordway’s contract is up next year...so how is
it that Entercom is still said to be pursuing Howie, though?
He was making 790 large a year and one report said they
offered him 50k less...then allegedly they matched Greater
Media’s offer.
(Of course GM was offering LESS as base pay, maybe 500k or
so, and the rest is performance incentives).
Howie can point out that Entercom has some things they can’t match—FM signal, no Red Sox pre-emptions, morning show, etc

Boston talk radio has been such a wasteland since Brudnoy departed. Carr is a smart ass, Severin has turned into just another Bush-basher and is too obsessed with countertops and perfect smiles. As for WTKK, it seems like its all commercials all the time.

It puzzles me why Boston can’t support a more thought-provoking talk show host such as Steve Malzberg or even Joey Reynolds that are on WOR in NY.

13
posted on 09/17/2007 7:53:30 AM PDT
by balls
(Religion is the root of all evil)

3rd Hour
CHUMP LINE! Call 617-779-3469 and leave Howie, Sandy or Happy a message about today’s stories or anything else buzzing around your bonnet and we may play it back on the air!
Max Robins the TV Guru will be with us to answer all of those nagging questions about your favorite show on the boob tube...

OJ, Brittney, that “Leave Brittney alone!” guy, the Sox,
the Yanks, the Pats and video on the sidelines...
geez.
The Fried Clam man and the Col. judged some clam chowdah.
“Best was Kelly’s Roast Beef.”

Actress and comedian Brett Somers, who amused game show fans with her quips on the “Match Game” in the 1970s, has died, her son said. She was 83. Somers died Saturday at her home in Westport of stomach and colon cancer, Adam Klugman said Monday.

Hosted by Gene Rayburn, “Match Game” was the top game show during much of the 1970s. Contestants would try to match answers to nonsense questions with a panel of celebrities; much of the humor came from the racy quips and putdowns.

Shows from the 1973-79 run, featuring regulars like Somers, Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly, are still seen on cable TV’s GSN (formerly Game
Show Network.)

Somers married actor Jack Klugman, the future star of the television shows “Quincy” and “The Odd Couple,” in 1953. The two separated in 1974, but never divorced.

They made many television appearances as a couple. Somers appeared on several episodes of “The Odd Couple,” playing the ex-wife of Klugman’s character.

In the summer of 2003, she appeared in a one-woman cabaret show, “An Evening with Brett Somers,” which she wrote and co-produced. She continued to perform after being diagnosed with cancer.

She was born Audrey Johnston in New Brunswick, Canada, and grew up in Portland, Maine. She ran away from home at age 17 and headed for New York City, where she settled in Greenwich Village. She changed her first name to Brett after the lead female character in the Ernest Hemingway novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Somers was her mother’s maiden name.

Her son said she was caustic, irreverent and a self-declared bohemian.

“She maintained her independence till the end, and her irreverence,” Adam Klugman said. “She died very much at peace.”

In addition to Adam Klugman, Somers is survived by another son, David, and a daughter, Leslie.

Aiello during a interview with Sean Hannity pointed out that he is also a Conservative and was raised Roman Catholic. He has also criticized the overuse of foul language in films and television series, as well as movies and television shows featuring poor portrayals of Italian-Americans, especially The Sopranos.

Aiello is the uncle of New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay. (He also played Madonna’s father in the Papa
Don’t Preach video, and Sal the pizza shop owner in
Do The Right Thing)

Of course this doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start there
this week; they’re just trying out a new website. Still
we should check out 96.9 Thu morning just in case...?

From SaveWRKO.com by Brian Maloney:

WTKK Plans Leak Themselves

Regarding big changes coming to WTKK, the cat has let itself out of the bag. Based on a website redesign in progress that has been made available for public view, likely by accident, we’re able to glean a number of details about its plans.

Here’s the link, just don’t be surprised if access has been yanked by the time you read this. It pays to check SaveWRKO at all hours, doesn’t it?

Highlights:

— The new lineup is simple enough: Howie Carr in morning drive, Michael Graham back in midmornings, Eagan & Braude maintain early afternoons, while Jay Severin stays put in the 3-7pm slot.

— Overall, the new website represents an improvement over the previous version, with a bit more interactivity and news updates. The current one can’t be retired fast enough!

— WTKK’s station logo has been redesigned and a new slogan adopted: “Boston’s Talk Evolution”. The new graphic features “WTKK” rather than “FM Talk”, which didn’t prove as Arbitron-friendly as station suits had wanted. These are good moves.

What’s revealed here more than anything is that Greater Media is finally serious about boosting WTKK’s performance and position in the market. Let’s hope a number of weird programming quirks unique to WTKK are also swept away with these changes.

The wild card, however, is Howie Carr. While Greater Media is smart to create the strongest possible impression that he has joined WTKK, in reality, he hasn’t. With Entercom showing no sign of letting Howie go, it will be up to the judicial system to determine his professional fate.

Yup! Damn they took that site down. It had the new logo and there were tabs in the upper section showing Howie,
Eagan and Braude, etc. Someone at Greater Media must have
leaked it either on purpose or by accident (maybe the
latter) and it got pulled.

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